What are the fees for trading Kraken contracts?

Understanding Kraken Futures and Contract Types

Kraken offers a robust futures trading platform known as Kraken Futures, which allows traders to speculate on the price movements of various cryptocurrencies using leveraged contracts. The platform supports perpetual contracts and quarterly futures on major digital assets such as BTC/USD, ETH/USD, and ADA/USD. These contracts are traded on a dedicated interface, separate from the spot market, and are built on Kraken’s proprietary matching engine to ensure low latency and high reliability. Traders can access Kraken Futures via the main Kraken website or through the advanced trading interface, Kraken Pro. It is essential to understand that fees vary based on whether you are classified as a maker or a taker, and this classification directly impacts how much you pay per trade.

Making vs. Taking: The Fee Structure Explained

The core of Kraken’s futures fee model revolves around the maker-taker system. When you place a limit order that does not immediately fill—thereby adding liquidity to the order book—you are considered a maker. Conversely, if you place an order that executes against an existing order—removing liquidity—you are a taker. Kraken Futures applies different fee rates for these roles:

• Maker fees are typically negative, meaning Kraken pays you a rebate for providing liquidity. For example, maker fees can be as low as -0.01%, effectively giving you a credit on each qualifying trade.
• Taker fees are positive and usually set at 0.05% of the contract value. This means you pay 0.05% when your order matches with an existing one in the order book.

  These rates can vary slightly depending on your 30-day trading volume. High-volume traders may qualify for tiered fee discounts, which can further reduce taker fees or increase maker rebates. Volume tiers are calculated in USD equivalent and reset every 30 days.

  How to Locate Current Fee Schedules on Kraken

  To access the most up-to-date fee structure for Kraken Futures, follow these steps:
• Log in to your Kraken account.
• Navigate to the 'Fees' section, typically found in the footer or under the 'Support' or 'Learn' menu.
• Select the 'Futures' tab to view the complete fee schedule.
• Review the maker and taker rates for each contract pair.
• Check the volume tiers table to see how your trading volume affects your fees.

  Kraken provides a fee calculator tool on its website, allowing you to estimate costs based on order size, price, and leverage. This tool is especially useful for planning large trades or evaluating the impact of rebates. Always ensure you are viewing the futures-specific fee table, as spot trading fees differ significantly.

  Fees Associated with Leverage and Funding Rates

  While trading Kraken contracts, it’s important to note that leverage itself does not incur a direct fee. However, holding a leveraged perpetual contract overnight subjects you to funding payments. These payments are exchanged between long and short position holders every 8 hours and are based on the interest rate differential and the premium between the perpetual contract price and the underlying spot price. The funding rate is displayed on the trading interface and can be positive or negative:
• If the funding rate is positive, long position holders pay short position holders.
• If the funding rate is negative, short position holders pay long position holders.

  Funding payments are automatically deducted or credited from your futures wallet. These are separate from trading fees and must be factored into your cost calculations, especially for positions held over multiple funding intervals.

  Deposit, Withdrawal, and Inactivity Fees

  Trading contract fees are not the only costs to consider. While Kraken does not charge fees for depositing cryptocurrency into your futures account, withdrawals may incur network fees. These fees depend on the blockchain congestion and the specific cryptocurrency being withdrawn. For example, Bitcoin (BTC) withdrawals use dynamic fees based on current mempool conditions, while Ethereum (ETH) withdrawals reflect gas prices at the time of processing.

  Additionally, Kraken imposes an inactivity fee on accounts with no trading activity for 90 days or more. If your futures account is inactive, Kraken charges $10 (or equivalent in crypto) per month until the balance is depleted or activity resumes. To avoid this fee, ensure you log in or execute at least one trade every three months.

  How Fee Discounts Are Applied Based on Volume

  Kraken Futures uses a volume-based tiering system to reward frequent traders. Your fee tier is determined by your total futures trading volume over the past 30 days, measured in USD. The higher your volume, the better your maker and taker rates. For instance:
• Traders with $0–$100,000 in volume remain at the standard tier: -0.01% maker, 0.05% taker.
• Traders with $100,000–$1,000,000 may receive improved rates, such as -0.015% maker, 0.04% taker.
• Top-tier traders exceeding $10 million in volume can achieve -0.025% maker, 0.02% taker.

  These tiers are applied automatically and updated daily. You can monitor your current volume and tier status in the 'Account Overview' section of the futures dashboard. Institutional traders may qualify for custom fee agreements by contacting Kraken’s OTC desk.

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Do Kraken Futures fees apply to both long and short positions? Yes, maker and taker fees apply equally to both long and short trades. The fee is based on your order type (maker or taker), not the direction of the trade.

  Are there any hidden fees when closing a futures contract on Kraken?No, Kraken does not charge hidden fees. All costs are transparent and limited to maker/taker fees and funding payments. Closing a position is treated the same as any other trade.

  Can I use Kraken Spot wallets to fund my futures trades without fees?Yes, transferring funds from your Kraken Spot wallet to your Futures wallet is free and instantaneous. No network or transfer fees apply.

  How often are funding rates charged on Kraken perpetual contracts?Funding rates are settled every 8 hours, at 04:00 UTC, 12:00 UTC, and 20:00 UTC. The rate is displayed in real-time on the trading interface before each settlement.